Friday, July 10, 2015

INTERVIEW: Joe Cosentino plus #Giveaway! #Mystery #MMRomance

Hello
Joe and welcome back to the Hat Party! Thank you for joining us again! Grab a
new hat and let's get this party started!

Describe your muse to us!

Since I started as an actor (working
with people like Nathan Lane, Bruce Willis, Holland Taylor, Rosie O’Donnell,
and Jason Robards), what gets my creative juices flowing is character. Before I
write a story, I compose a long character biography for each character then get
the characters talking to one another in my head. They say the most amazingly
funny, touching, and mind-boggling things!

If you could take a writing holiday,
where would you go and what project would you dedicate yourself to?

I already took a cruise to Alaska
for DRAMA CRUISE (the third Nicky and Noah comedy mystery novel from Lethe
Press), and a trip to Capri, Italy for A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (holiday romance
novella from Dreamspinner Press). Both should be released in December. I’ve also
been to Hawaii, since my idea for the fourth Nicky and Noah comedy mystery is
DRAMA ALOHA. I want to go to Scotland, so I’ll have to think up a book for
that. Perhaps another Nicky and Noah mystery with men in kilts.

What do you think exists at the
heart of the universe?

Whether you want to call it God,
Jesus, Buddha, white light, energy, the muse, or anything else, I believe there
is a strong power of creation and love that exists. I try to tap into it every
time I sit down to write.

To put your heart, soul, and brain
out there for everyone to devour (hopefully in a good way).

What one word is most beautiful to
your ears or eyes?

Husband.

Tell us about a time you were brave.

Every day in high school. You can
read about it in my Dreamspinner Press novella, AN INFATUATION. Get ready to
laugh and cry.

How have you changed as a writer
since the first time you visited The Hat Party?

I’ve learned how to work with three
very different publishers: AN INFATUATION (Dreamspinner Press), DRAMA QUEEN the
first Nicky and Noah comedy mystery (Lethe Press), and PAPER DOLL the first
Jana Lane mystery (Whiskey Creek Press).

Because we all know there is one,
what’s the dark side of being a published author?

You revel in your large amount of
rave reviews, and brood over the occasional bad one.

And finally, when they send the
first dachshund into space, what will his/her awesome astronaut name be?

It could be
curtains for college theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza. With dead bodies
popping up all over campus, Nicky must use his drama skills to figure out who
is playing the role of murderer before it is lights out for Nicky and his
colleagues. Complicating matters is Nicky’s huge crush on Noah Oliver, a
gorgeous assistant professor in his department, who may or may not be involved
with a cocky graduate assistant...and is also the top suspect for the murders!
You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced,
side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat, delightfully entertaining novel.
Curtain up!

EXCERPT:

While Scotty stared at us with an inquisitive look on his
face, Noah led me to a window seat in a corner of the theatre lobby. White snow
fell softly outside the window behind us like cotton bits in a glass ball. I
could tell something was bothering Noah, and it hurt me that he was hurting.

“I don’t want to take advantage of our friendship.”

Take advantage! “What’s wrong?”

“It’s about my tenure application.”

I thought back to the neurosis, prayers, nightmares, and
sheer terror before my tenure decision. “Noah, anybody lucky enough to get a
tenure track position nowadays goes through the jitters stage. It’s not fun,
but it’s part of the game. I read your application. It’s very strong. All the
students and all the faculty in the department like you.”

His head dropped to his chest. “Not everybody.”

David, the self-prescribed technical theatre god, strikes
again.

“I went to David’s office while you were giving notes.”

Tongue firmly in cheek, I said, “And the two of you had a
cozy little chat about your promising future at Treemeadow College?”

Noah let out an I Love Lucy, “Hah!” then continued.
“After complimenting David on the set design for the show, I mentioned my
positive student surveys, and my supportive evaluations from Martin as
department head.”

“And when you asked if he will support your tenure, David
said he’d have to think about it.” I sneered. “That’s what David said to me
when I applied for tenure.” I felt my jaw, hands, and knees clench in unison.
“His was my only no vote, which I will never forget.”

“I fared worse than you. David came right out and told me I
am too easy on my students, and that like most gay men I am too weak to
be a dynamic lecturer.”

“That’s a lie. And against the law in this state.”

Noah’s magnificent lips pouted. “David told me that he
wouldn’t support my tenure if I gave him a thousand dollars.”

“He’s never supported anyone for tenure. He has voted
against every new course and program modification proposal in the department.
He even voted against having a department holiday party. But David’s is only one
vote.”

Slumping back against the window seat, Noah said, “There are
only seven tenured faculty members in our department. David can be very
persuasive.”

“Ariella may be David’s wife but she’s her own person, and
she likes you a great deal. And I doubt Jackson Grier would support David since
David voted against Jackson’s tenure too.”

“I heard Jackson and David arguing in David’s office tonight
before I went in to talk to David about my tenure. Jackson slammed the door and
left in a huff.”

“What were David and Jackson arguing about?”

Noah’s shrugged. “I heard David criticizing Jackson’s
movement and stage combat choreography for the show. Then all I could get were
the words, ‘fresh start.’” Soft lines surfaced on Noah’s handsome face. “David
could be making deals, offering his support to faculty if he becomes department
head and if they vote against my tenure.”

I stood and lifted Noah to his feet. “Come on, young man.”

He looked like a school boy at a fire drill. “Where are we
going?”

“Where everyone in our department brings all of our
problems.”

A delicious line formed between Noah’s eyes. “Is Martin here
at this hour?”

“My bet is yes.” I pushed Noah in front of me, and
said grandly, “To the Wizard of Theatre Arts.”

BONUS QUESTIONS:

*What inspired Drama Queen?

Can’t we all use a good laugh, a challenging brain twister, and a bit of romance? I wanted to write the kind of book I like reading. A novel that is funny, theatrical, sexy, wild, and wacky with a solid mystery full of plot twists and turns at its center. Sort of an Agatha Christie meets Armistead Maupin in the land of HART TO HART. Since I am a college theatre professor/department head, I wanted to set it in the wacky world of academia, where theatre departments are private havens of mystery, comedy, and romance. My colleagues tease me that if they tick me off I will kill them in the series. Of course I use some of my experiences, but most of the series is an over the top mystery filled with clues, red herrings, plot twists and turns, surprises, and a shocking ending.

*Is there anything special you’d like us to know about it?

In this first novel, DRAMA QUEEN, Nicky and Noah have to uncover why their college theatre professor colleagues are dropping like stage curtains while Nicky directs the college play production—a murder mystery. And Noah is the top suspect! In the upcoming second novel, DRAMA MUSCLE, Nicky and Noah have to find out why musclemen are dropping like weights in the Physical Education department while Nicky directs the Student Bodybuilding Competition. In the third novel, DRAMA CRUISE, Nicky and Noah go on a cruise to Alaska, and discover why college theatre professors are going overboard like lifeboats while Nicky directs a murder mystery dinner theatre show onboard ship. So far, readers are telling me they are falling in love with Nicky and Noah as the Holmes and Watson of Treemeadow College fall in love with each other. Readers are also having a great time solving the mystery along with them. Though here are many clues given throughout the novel, nobody has guessed it yet!

*What are your hopes for these titles?

A television series adaptation starring Matt Bomer as Nicky, Neil Patrick Harris as Noah, and me as Martin Anderson (the department head)!

About the Author:

Joe Cosentino
is the author of Drama Queen the
first Nicky and Noah mystery (Lethe Press), An Infatuation (Dreamspinner
Press), Paper Doll the first Jana
Lane mystery (Whiskey Creek Press), and The
Nutcracker and the Mouse King (Eldridge Plays and Musicals). He has
appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite
stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and
Jason Robards. His one-act plays, Infatuation and Neighbor, were
performed in New York City. He wrote The Perils of Pauline educational
film (Prentice Hall Publishers). Joe is currently Head of the
Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married.
His upcoming novels are Drama Muscle the second Nicky and Noah mystery
(Lethe Press), A Shooting Star
(Dreamspinner Press novella), A Home for
the Holidays (Dreamspinner Press holiday novella), and Porcelain Doll the second Jana Lane mystery.

Post a comment below with your email addy about DRAMA QUEEN and I will select the one that tickles my fancy the most. Joe Cosentino, the author, will email the winner an ebook of his previous title, AN INFATUATION, a Bittersweet Dreams novella from Dreamspinner Press. Contest ends on July 16th @ 11:59 PM.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Don't Miss a Single Interview or Giveaway!

Meet the Hostess!

Raine O'Tierney is an M/M romance author who loves celebrating other authors, asking probing questions about dachshunds, and generally supporting the creative process! Plus she thinks hats are worth throwing a party over!